Means for facilitating the fitting of shoes



March 25, 1930. v, G, GO-SNLL 1,752,254

MEANS FOR FACILITATING THE FITTING OF SHOES Filed Nov. 27, 1928 Patented Mar. 25, 1930 PATENT OFFICE- VAN GORDON GOSN'ELL, OF HAMILTON, ONTARIO, CANADA MEANS FOR FACILITATING THE FITTING OF SHOES Application filed November 27, 1928. Serial No. 322,240.

This invention relates to improvements in means for facilitating the fitting of shoes, and the object of the invention is to provide an improved device whereby the accurate fitting of shoes will be facilitated.

A further object is to provide a means particularly useful in accurately fitting childrens shoes in which case children are frequently not able to tell or make known wheth' er the shoe being fitted is comfortable 0.-

a proper fit.

A further object is to provide such a device which will possess all the advantages of the present X-ray method, but which will enablea more exact determination of the fit to be observed and which will be very much more convenient to employ and very much less expensive.

A further object is to provide a means sufficiently simple and evident as to enable the person being fitted, or in the case of children the parent or guardian, to clearly observe and estimate the suitability as to fit of the shoe being offered by the salesman thereby pro :5 viding a certain amount of protection against an unscrupulous or careless salesman who being without the proper size in stock might otherwise substitute the improper size.

The invention consists in incorporating in 30 the upper of a shoe a transparent portion through which the disposition of the wearers foot within the shoe may be clearly observed and inspected, so that a very exact fitting may be obtained, all as hereinafter more particu- Iarly described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a perspective view of a childs shoe having the invention incorporated there- 1n. Figure 2 is a top planview of the shoe showlng the wearers foot therein indicated in V broken lines. a

Figure 3 is a top plan view of the toe portion of a shoe in which the invention is shown as comprising a slightly different disposition of a transparent portion incorporated in the upper of the shoe and the wearers foot being indicated within the shoe in broken lines.

Figure 4 is a transverse section through ferent views.

The invention is applicable to any shoe or range of sizes, and consists in making a portion 10 of the upper of a key shoe of transparent material, whereby the wearers foot within the shoe may be clearly visible. This transparent portion replaces the corresponding. portion of the upper and is lasted directly with the shoe during manufacture, so that when completed the key shoe having this portion 10 therein is of standard shape and inside dimensions according to last-used and exactly similar to the regular stock shoe made on such last.

Any desired portion of the upper may be replaced by this transparent portion, and in Fig. 3, a slightly difierent disposition of the transparent portion is shown which is here indicated by the numeral 11. The ordinary leather portion of the upper is indicated by the numeral 12.

In carrying out the system of fitting using the invention, the merchant would be supplied with a series of key shoes having the invention incorporated therein, there being a separate key shoe for each slze and shape built over the same lasts as the corresponding stock shoes.

In fitting a customer, the salesman would simply have the customer try on the key shoes and it would be possible to inspect the disposition of the wearers foot therein so as to determine accurately which size was the proper fit, and when the correct key shoe has been fitted, the shoe of the corresponding size and last from stock would be the correct fit for the foot and same would be supplied the customer. In this way the device will greatly facilitate the accurate fitting of shoes, protecting and satisfying the customer.

By the use of the devi-cea much clearer and understandable View of the disposition of the 95 foot within the shoe is possible than with the X-ray machines now used, a fair comparison being the difference between viewing the actual foot and trying to read a hazy photo- 100 graphic negative of the same foot.

Furthermore, while the device may be very conveniently used in the fitting of shoes, it is very much less expensive and possible of more general use than the X-ray machine which 5 is a costly installation requiring electric currentto operate.

.r In carrying out the invention any transparent material suitable for the purpose may beused such as celluloid or isinglass.

From the foregoing, it will be apparent that I have devised an improved means for facilitating the fitting of shoes whereby the objects of my invention has been attained;

Various modifications may be used in this invention without departing from the spirit thereof'or the scope of the claim, and therefore the exact form shown is to be taken as illustrative only and not' in'a limiting sense, and it is desired that only such limitations shall be placed thereon as are disclosed in the prior art or are set forth in the accompanying claim.

What I claim as my invention is:

A key shoe for fitting purposes comprising an ordinary shoe upper formed with a cut out portion substantially coresponding to the toe area thereof, the major portion of said upper being of actual fitting size corresponding to the last, said toe portion being larger than the fitting size, and a transparent, shaped member for the toe portion adapted to fit therein to form a transparent backing for the cut out portion, said transparent member being of actual fitting size corresponding with the last to provide a fitting shoe having interior dimensions corresponding throughout with the actual saleable shoes. h In1 witness whereof I have hereunto set my 40 VAN GORDON GOSN ELL. 

